Name of Place
Reason why it's great.
Here's a few to get you started:
- The Shack. It's tiny, it's scungy and it exists primarily as an addendum to Bazu, but it serves the cheapest shots (made from the cheapest alcohol) in Wellington. Unlimited $3 doubles.
- Moore Wilsons. For the small inconvenience of signing up for a Moore Wilsons student card, you can gain access to some of the best bottle prices available.
21 comments:
On Behalf of Geoffrey:
The Kumera
Because I'm Geoff, and it's the Kumera.
On Behalf of Mealz:
Shooters
Because I'm Mealz, and it's Shooters.
I quite like shooters when i go clubbing.. in fact - i only go to shooters when i go clubbing. they have really cool music to dance to.
Okay, I'll bite:
===
Petone Pak'n'Save
Better wine selection than is reasonable, all at better prices than anywhere else. Of course, I'm not advocating that you get drunk inside the supermarket, but I'm not condemning it either.
K Bar
At Wellington's premier karaoke establishment, you'll be hitting the bar just as soon as you hear the singing start. (Hint: bzp makes the crap drink go down easy. Stock up while it's still legal.) Within what seems like moments, you'll have launched into a song far beyond your technical capacity, causing anyone who's just walked in to hit the bar. A beautiful cycle ensues. At 3am, passed-out patrons are tipped into the ever-hungry dumpsters. Later, they wake up to a world of regret and a letterbox of paternity suits.
Shooters [redux]
Where freedom-crazed Supré-shopping first-year girls go to be preyed upon by lecherous middle-aged men. Of course, I only ever go there to play pool.
===
More to come later. I don't anticipate the Kumara will get off lightly.
The Big Kumara
Basically, the main student bar of wellington and the first port of call for most of my mates on a town night. Attractions include: drink specials wednesdays $3 most drinks, friday and saturdays 2 red bull and vodkas for $10, toilets that seem to always have a pool of urine or soapy water poured in there to clean the pool of urine, live premier league football after midnight on saturday nights, all surfaces have a sticky feel, being let in on friday night with t shirt, shorts and jandals, live music that is always plays the same songs with 30+ band members that pack up at the end and prowl the dance floor.
There is meant to be an apparently kiwiana feel to the bar. Plastic cups are used because when patrons finish their drinks on the dancefloor, they simply drop the glass and keep dancing.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=118485775
other places in wellington to drink and be drunk.
Wel- come takeaways
always tasty, always greasy.
A takeaway shop that consists of a counter to make your orders and one seat. Opening hours, 8pm-8am - this takeaways shop is not even open for dinner. Location, Vivien St dwarfed by prolific neighbours Liks stripbar, the Adult shop and blue note bar and valve across the road. With such neighbours and their opening hours, there is only one (broad) market they are aiming at. Drunks from town, emos and goths from Valve, Bums from Cuba St, scummy men from Liks and the adult shop and prostitutes from Marion St and Vivien St.
Food is suprisingly good with decent enough quality ingredients, prices are cheap, there is a good variety, staff are friendly and dont mind if you write on their walls.
Recommendations:
Wel-chicken Combo 5.50
- 1 Wel Chicken Burger (chicken patty, lettuce, tomato, mayo, bun.
- 1 scoop chip (thats whats written on the board)
- 1 Coke brand can of your choice.
Chicken Chow Mein 6.50
Wel-Come Chicken Burger 4.50 (Huge)
this is making me hungry.
My recommended nightspots in Wellington change on a regular basis, but, at this point in time, my recommendations are:
Mighty Mighty
For it is cool. Go now, before it stops being cool. Nice cocktails. Lovely clientele. Full of kitsch goodness. There can be many hipsters, but they come in waves. Still, go check it out, even if you are wary of hipsters. I also heart the music. Go listen to the music!
Good Luck
Ah, Good Luck. Cool, sophisticated. Great cocktails, great bartenders. Has an Oriental/Opium Den feel to it. Make sure you look pretty when you go. They turn away skanks. DO NOT go decked out in your best bright/leopard print supre clothes. It is not unknown for such people to be pointed out and laughed at. Remember, this is a classy place. Dress the part, act the part. Beware the cover charge!
Havana
Tiny, hard to find, exclusive, plays hot latino music, incorporates absinthe in a few of their cocktails. Also, has a very cool, and very tiny, outside courtyard. Good times. Two thumbs up.
Curve
Small, out of the way, is frequently dead. BUT it has regular dance gigs (expect to pay anywhere between $5-$20 to get in, though) and when this happens, the bar closes at 6. YAY! Party till the sun comes up, and the sound of chirping birds makes you feel slightly guilty. The bartenders are great and easy to talk to. Beware the Bhangra Nights, for there will be many angry, drunk, disgusting men who will grope you. Unless you actually enjoy this, in which case, you should go to shooters.
Red Square
House music! Big leather couches to sit on outside! Big velvet couches to sit on inside! Chandeliers! Ice Bar! Pretty people behind the bar! Oooooohhhhh!
Yes, I know it isn't cool anymore. And it is the home of Hallensteins Boy and Glassons Girl, but it has the feel of a Russian Bordello, and I like it. So there.
Matterhorn
A Wellington institution. Many a film star has been spotted here. Home of the legendary 'Falling Water' cocktail. Great music. Great bartenders. Great clientele. Good luck finding a table. In fact, good luck getting in on some nights.
Tupelo
I like. Great drink selection. Tends to hold dance gigs in conjunction with Curve and Subnine, but I like going there for a few after dinner cocktails on Wednesday nights. Relaxed. Quirky. Cosy. Lovely.
Motel
I'm not too sure where I stand on Motel, simply because I've had some very bad nights there. Then again, I've also had some very good nights there. Famous for turning away Liv Tyler. Nice drinks. Bar staff are nice enough. Clientele can be anything from 'cool, nice and friendly' to 'up themselves prats'.
Go find out for yourself. Warning: this is a stylish bar. Do not wear obvious supre. You're expected to make an effort.
UU Bar
Tiny. Mirrors all around. The DJ is cool. The bartenders are cool. Make you sure you look great in your outfit and are confident with your dancing ability. Failing that, it's best to have good self-esteem. Do not under-estimate the effects of a club that is all mirrors. Beware the pole and the girls dancing like strippers.
Electric Avenue
Two stories of 80's music! Yeah baby! I can't comment of anything else. I haven't been in the most sober of states each time I've gone there. 80's music! Beware the suits about to enter their mid-life crisis.
And that's all I can think of right now. Note: none of these bars are cheap. I'm a cynical, arrogant snob. I don't drink cheap alcohol in public.
Wow.
That was quite a lot.
I'm hungry again.
Wow Ida... that just confirms that you should have a blog to write that sort of stuff on.
And superblaise can be your guest blogger when he feels like biting. Unless of course his "more to come later" results in him beating your total of nine recommendations, in which case you can be his guest blogger ;-)
OK, Ida, you see why I think you should do this as a blog? You're good at it!
I will add, just for fun -
Boogie Wonderland - think disco lights and roller skates. Also not that cool anymore, but still cute.
Red Square - I also still like it for the reasons Ida listed, namely chandeliers! Ice bar!
Shooters (Downstairs) and the Cambridge - pubs for drinking in after jitsu, and only after jitsu. Or any other time you have just spent two hours exercising with huge sweaty guys.
Sub-Nine - sometimes have half-priced drinks...
Starmart
Conveniently located around bar areas, good place to grab a pie when you can't get into a bar or if the queue at BK is just too long. City stop is also good. on top of pies they stock fried chicken, chips and butter chicken. Starmart courtney place is smack bang in probably the busiest parts of "town." Cuba st Starmart is located next door to the bristol and neighbouring murphys and good luck across the road. Manners st Starmart close to the shack, k bar and (how could i not mention) Kumara.
Oh, cheers guys. Didn't realise I'd written that much until I posted. I still have a few more, but I think I'll leave the rest to the others.
For the record, Sub9 does not do 2-4-1 drinks. And never has...
Midnight Espresso
Home of the best iced chocolates in Wellington. They will ask you if you want whipped cream and marshmallows with your iced chocolate. Say yes. Great place. Cool music. Lovely staff. Easy going atmosphere. Yummy food. Open till around midnight-ish (I'm hazy on closing time). Hence, the name
Cuba Kebab
There are many other fine kebab establishments throughout Wellington, but it's nice that one finds the kebab establishment that they are happiest with. This one is mine. Conveniently located on Cuba St. Near an Irish bar. Beware the drunk and rowdy patrons on a Saturday night. Since it is also near a variety of the bars listed on this page, the chances of you seeing people you know are pretty good. The staff are also very nice, and if you go there enough times, they remember your order. I like their falafels with hummus. Open till around 3-ish on Friday/Saturday nites, and around midnight for the rest of the week.
Satay Kingdom
Home of the $5 Roti Chenai. A meal that will fill you up for the rest of the day, no matter when you eat it. Try the rest of their foods too, I'm partial to their nasi goreng and the mee goreng. This is generally a busy place, and this is reflected in the staff. But they're nice enough. Cheap, filling food, fast service.
Dorothy's
Desserts galore! And they do savouries...but, desserts galore! I particularly like their banoffe pie. And their chocolate cake. Uber-cute little place. Open till late on weekends. Can get a bit full. Nice atmosphere, nice staff.
And that's all I have time for, cos I have to run off to class. And, I believe I've said this before, I don't think I would ever write a blog. Simply because I would probably forget all about it.
hey this is awesome awesome stuff! thanks for the input, im going to pass this all onto ryan (first year staying at weir house) i think he will be interested!
cya!
Ellie: glad to be of service, but you should also wait for the top 10 :)
Yes, wait for the Top 10. Or keep checking back for more posts. I still have a few more establishments that I would like to recommend. Especially to a first-year boy staying in Weir House. He will appreciate it. Oh yes he will...
The Mill
How could we not mention the mill. located just up the road from unicomm and the closest liquor shop to vic house and weir, it is the student liquor store. they even have a bouncer there on fridays and saturdays. The mill has be best range of spirits and beer and wine - well just stuff liquor shops usually sell.
I'm back.
===
Jet
Was cool until Prince William was allegedly spotted there a year or so back; now seen as a place to avoid. This is slightly unfair: once you get over the extortionate pricing, this place is quite enjoyable (depending on your company). Same applies for a few nearby places: Hummingbird; The Establishment. Avoid Sandwiches.
Kitty O'Shea's
I'm slightly bewildered that this hasn't already been mentioned: of Wellington's three major Irish pubs (Murphy's , Molly's, and Kitty's), this is the roughest and the best. Contrary to popular mythology, it is possible to get turned away at the door. Drink on the balcony during summer for a slow-burning night.
Shepherd's Arms
In Thorndon, but a good English-style pub (except with cold beer). Food is excellent. Kind of an upmarket Backbencher but without the political gimmickry. Make sure you keep enough cash to get a taxi into town after.
The Big Kumara
It was difficult to see how Barney's could possibly have been made worse, but the proprietors managed it. Get smashed first, and you'll have a good time. Then I will call you scum.
Cue Room
More a place to be drunk than to get drunk. Great for nights when you've hit it a little too hard a little too early: turn up with a friend, play five frames of pool, then go to Hadi Gari for the excellent kebabs. If the night still be young, start again, if not, go home knowing that you've had a decent if unspectacular time.
===
Maybe more to come, maybe not.
Yikes, I nearly forgot I'm writing for a first-year guy:
===
Mount Street Bar and Cafe
Some people still insist on calling it Eastside. It's overpriced, but it's on campus and open during the day. Perfect for lunchtime drinking before afternoon lectures. The only place to be seen drinking while skipping lectures. (Well, there's Matterhorn if you must).
===
Note to blog-owners: I am also happy to contribute to a coffee list. Hint, hint.
Since we are writing for the benefit of a first-year guy:
Mermaids
A 'classy' establishment conveniently placed next to Shooters: Home of the Icky. Mermaids rolls out the red carpet for all of it's customers. A place where the modern man, and woman, can relax be entertained by the attractive, friendly and accomodating staff. It is said that water is helpful for relaxation. With that in mind, Mermaids has built a tank where customers can take in the relaxing view of water with girls in it. There is a cover charge, but ladies get in free on Tuesdays. Yay!
Santa Fe
Recently moved to it's new premises on Dixon St, this establishment is conveniently close to K Bar, The Big Kumara, Hope Bros and a bus stop. I hear that the quality of the staff and entertainment is not as good as it used to be, but this may be due to the relocation. Go check it out. It's near the Kumara. Maybe Geoff knows more?
Vivian St
Like Cuba and Courtney, Vivian St is renowned for it's nightlife. Here, a young first year may encounter a whole variety of characters, from blanketman to drunken students to sheepish middle aged men. On this street, one can find Valve Bar, Erox, Liks and, of course, Wel-come takeaways. But the real drawcard of this street is the ladies. Here, the eager and willing young man (or woman!) may find a lady willing to offer her company for the night. All of this is in exchange for a reasonable cash price (or so I'm told).
Good grief! We're directing this poor young man into nothing but dens of iniquity! We shall answer for this with our souls, I'm sure of that. So to make up for it, some more general advice:
===
It is acceptable for a first-year gentleman to walk into Mermaids or Santa Fé once, and then only with open-minded female company, and then only if one grumbles for days about how sadly low-class these establishments have become.
A lot of the bars Ida mentions aren't really first-year haunts, but if you and a few (note: a few, not a dozen) friends are looking sharp, don't be afraid to go in and get a feel for the place.
Out of the places mentioned here, the classic first-year drinking haunts are:
The Big Kumara, Shooters, K Bar, Valve (if you're into metal), Subnine/Curve (if there's gig on), Electric Avenue (suitable for slightly larger groups for tapas), Boogie Wonderland, Molly Mallone's, and Mount Street Bar and Café.
All of the food places mentioned are suitable for drunken first-years.
For daytime drinking, the only acceptable places listed are Mount Street Bar and Café and Matterhorn.
Finally: heed the wise counsel of Geoffrey. Each one of his recommendations is spot-on.
===
That's all from me. I look forward to seeing what places make the cut.
BREEEEEEEEEEEENDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN - grrrrrrrr- ok mealz did not say...
goodness, that teaches me to read your blog more often. Ok, yes Meals does have fun in shooters at times, but I do not only go to Shooters! And yes, unfortunately, Blaise is right. Ida, my goodness girl, do you do anything but go clubbing! Latinos is the best place to go when a) it is actually open and b) when there happen to be people there. Great Latin Bands and lots of Salsa (yes, both types - to satisfy all kinds of people). Unfortunately, there are times when there are no parties on at Latinos and it will only be you and about one other person... the one who is on the other side of the counter. But otherwise it is a great place to dance the night away
Post a Comment